I borrowed a bike for the weekend so that I could see some of Colorado from a motorcycle. The bike was a Honda 650 GT Hawk, a v-twin sport bike. It is quite different than the other bikes I ride, the two biggest differences are the footpeg placement (more under the seat than on my cruisers) and the handlebars (a more forward-leaning riding position). My wrists weren’t used to it, but given more time it would seem more natural. I really noticed the difference when braking.
The ride itself was nothing short of spectacular. I left Eagle at about 7am, headed east on US 6. Brrrrr. When you’re in the shadow of the mountains, it’s COLD. I had to stop and put earplugs in, I seem to forget them fairly often. I made it to Minturn, and stopped at Harry’s Bump and Grind. The coffee was hot and the scones were right out of the oven. Just what I needed to warm up and start the picture-taking. The trip to Leadville was one stunning panorama after another. I stopped and took a picture at the Tenessee Pass Continental Divide sign. On to Leadville, then on south towards route 82. I stopped in Twin Lakes and topped off the gas, and a gentleman on a Harley dresser was doing the same thing. He had just come over Independence pass and said it was cold up there. I thought – great. I had just warmed up and now it’s going to get cold again. Oh, well, the views are worth it.
The trip from Twin Lakes to the top of Independence Pass was as good if not more picturesque than the trip from Minturn to Leadville. Wow. Still snow on the ground up there, and a fair amount of it. The trip down the western side of the pass was, you guessed it, stunning. However, I had shot three rolls of film on the way up to Independence Pass and had no film for the trip down the western side. On through Aspen, then stopped for pizza at Redstone Pizza in Basalt. On north to Glenwood Springs, then east on I-70. I have never seen anything like I-70 east of Glenwood Springs. Humbling. The engineering it took to get that road shoehorned in along the river is amazing, and it looks it.
I got off I-70 at Gypsum and took US 6 back to Eagle. The ride was about 215 miles total, every foot of it was worth the time. I hope the pictures turn out – if they do I will select a few and post them here.